Claudia is an Ecuadorian flutist, advocate for new music and a member of the board of directors for Minnesota Winds. Her mission is to educate and empower audiences from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds through the performance of contemporary music. Claudia is also a proud Sphinx Fellow.

As both a solo performer and a founding member of Newphonia Ensemble, Claudia is dedicated to performing works by living and underrepresented composers. She curates and commissions new works for solo flute, flute and electronics, and is actively involved in interdisciplinary artistic collaborations. In Ecuador, Claudia has been featured as a guest artist at the Festival Internacional perla del Pacífico in Guayaquil and the Festival Internacional de Flautistas en el Centro del Mundo in Quito. Her international professional residencies include the Villa Celia Foundation, Pueblos de América Foundation, Western Illinois University, and Louisiana State University.

Claudia’s goal as a teacher is to inspire students not only to succeed as artists, but to embrace the process of lifelong learning. Drawing from her experience with students of diverse backgrounds, Claudia creates a safe and supportive space for musical exploration and growth. Claudia has applied this philosophy at prestigious institutions such as MacPhail Center for Music, Bowling Green State University, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, FOSJE Foundation, Gershwin Conservatoire and more. She holds a D.M.A. from Bowling Green State University, a M.M. from Louisiana State University, and a B.M. from University of Northern Iowa.

Sum Yee is a Chinese-American composer, pianist, and artistic director raised in Seattle, Washington and Guangzhou, China. As a church music director, she has extensive experience in leading rehearsals and services, recruiting musicians, and curating diverse repertoire. Sum Yee has organized concerts and managed social media for contemporary music events at Bowling Green State University. 

Sum Yee has numerous experiences in teaching composition, piano and music theory to all ages. She encourages young musicians to be inspired by a variety of musical styles. Her students are actively participating in prestigious national competitions.

Her music is often inspired by nature, human experiences, art works, and is characterized by spontaneous changes in dynamics, color, character and texture. She has received recognition from the New York Youth Symphony First Music Commission 2024 and won the IAWM 2024 Annual Concert Call for Scores. Her music has been featured in SEAMUS National Conference, Electronic Music Midwest (EMM), Dream American Emerging Composers Concert, She Scores Concert Series, and MOXsonic.

Sum Yee earned her master’s degree in composition at Bowling Green State University. She also holds degrees in piano and composition from Western Washington University and a biology degree from University of Washington. 

Mateo is an arts advocate, composer, and educator from Long Island, New York. As a leader in the arts, Mateo is passionate about advancing interdisciplinary arts projects. He is particularly dedicated to guiding artists through all stages of the grant-writing process. Currently, he pursues these endeavors at the University of Georgia Arts Collaborative.

As a music educator, Mateo prioritizes developing strategic skills that enable students to make well-informed and creative decisions through their own artistic voices. These values have elevated his teaching at Bowling Green State University, the University of Georgia Community Music School, and his private studio. Recent classroom teaching experiences include undergraduate music theory and aural skills. His private studio offers composition and cello lessons to high school and collegiate students. 

Mateo’s compositional work explores games/play in music, appreciating the mundane, and manipulations of field recordings. His acoustic and electroacoustic works have been selected for performances throughout the USA and internationally at prestigious events such as International Composition Institute of Thailand, Society of Composers Conferences, Valencia International Performance Academy, Operation Opera, and Really Spicy Opera's Aria Institute (Sci-Fi Brunch Edition). Mateo is currently a DMA candidate at the University of Georgia. He also holds an MM in composition from Bowling Green State University and a BM from the State University of New York at Fredonia.